Flexible-shaft-making machine



June 24, 1930. L; H MQ RM j 1,767,693

FLEXIBLE SHAFT MAKING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1928,

s Sheets-Sheet 1 I'NVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Jun 24, 1930. 1;. H. Mo 1,767,693

FLEXIBLE SHAFT MAKING MACHINE Filed April 15 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I AFTIORNEY Patented June 24, 193Q LOUIS H. MORIII, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

This ivention relates to machines for mak- FLEXIBLE-SHAFT-MAKING MACHINE Application mum 18, 1928. Serial No. 269,719.

ing flexible shafting such as is commoly used for transmitting torque and is an improvement upon such a machine as disclosed 5 in my copending application Serial No.

209,205, filed July 29, 1927.

Flexible shaft used fortransmitting torque is gen erally made by wrapping a plurality of layers of wire in close convolutions about a central or core Wire. In

prior machines embodying a plurality of heads for ma king flexible shafting it has been necessary to provide a separate and distinct feeding mechanism for pushin pulling the core wire through the mac ine as the several there around.

In the maki layers of wire were wrapped ng of flexible shafting and in analogous arts which employ the step of automatically winding strand material upon a traveling core, it has been customary to cause longitudinal movement of the article as fast as it is formed by means of a wedging action.

11 other words, the strand or longitudinally product.

With simple matter production of the winding of the axis of the finished single head machines it is a very to apply this principle in the flexible shafting formed by of successive layers of wire about a core wire. Difficulty, however, arises in applying this principle to multiple head machines. sary to prov1d pensation between the several heads.

It has been found that it is necese for a certain automatic com- Th1s is due to several causes. The core wire passes 1n succession through the several heads and has cessively on it.

the layers of wire wound suc- It is necessary that the core wire shall be kept comparatively taut and moving at a constant rate-of speed and but that the convolutions be closely compacted.

Theoreticall y, it is possible to so relate the speed of rotation of the several heads that with a given size of wires they will wind their respective layers with nice precision. Practically, however, this is not possible. The chief difliculty arises from variations in the size of the wire from the size at which it is rated. A wire which was rated at a certain gauge will almost inevitabove and below that size .from the beginning to the end of the wire. This constant variation in the wire size has to be compensated for without interfering with the propelling function of the inclined surfaces.

I have found that this is very satisfactorily done if the inclined surfaces are so shaped that the wires may take a turn or two about them at the lnitiation of the operation and increase or decrease this surplus or spare wire between the spool and core as the diameter of the wire, varies throughout a single spool. I

In accordance with my invention I make the inclined surface conical in shape. A retarding force is applied to the spool so that the wire is tightly drawn around the cone and the angle of the cone is such that the downward component of the force considerably exceeds the component normal to the surface. I have not been able to use satis factorily a cone having an angle of less than ably vary as much as one-half thousandth 45 and I prefer an angle of not less than 60.

The gear ratio for each'head is properly selected according to the size of the wire of. the spools on that head. The wires will be given at least a partial turn around the cone. If the diameters of the wires on the several spools of the head do not vary throughout their length, there will be no variation in the extent of the wire turned about the cone. If, however, the size of one or more of the strands temporarily increases, thewire will automatically build up on the cone; and similarly, if the size of one or more of the wires decreases temporarily, the wire will automatically be gradually fed off from the cone until normal conditions are resumed. Without some such compensation or differential action I have found it impossible satisfactorily to use the multiple head machine in the production of flexible shafting.

Preferably, there will be provided after the last head a friction device through which the shafting is fed and which will provide a force opposing the propelling force of the cones and thereby cause the turns of the several layers to be closely wound. This opposing or retarding force will be adjustable to accommodate it to the conditions desired.

Likewise, I find it advantageous, though.

not necessary, to employ an auxiliary feeding device after the friction member just mentioned so as to relieve the cones of the necessity of performing all the propelling action and at the same time maintain the finished shaft taut between the last head and the auxiliary feeding device. after the shafting may be reeled or otherwise disposed of.

I shall now'describe the illustrated embodiment of myinvention and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

In the drawings: I j

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section showing the details of portions of the last winding head and associate parts;

of the retarding device;

' Fig. 5 is an end elevation of one of the Winding heads. I

The embodiment of this invention as illustrated comprises a bed or frame 1 supported upon end and central legs 2, the bed 1 constituting a support for the core wire spool, the wrapping or windin mechanism and the flexing mechanism. spool 3 of core wire 4 is supported upon angle bracket 5 rigidly secured to the bed 1 adjacent the right or head end thereof, the bracket 5 serving to support a suitable spindle and ,retaining means for rotatably carrying the spool of core wire. Four similar winding heads 6 through which the core wire is passed to have a plurality of layers of wire Wrapped therearound are rigidly secured to the bed in alignment; Following the last head' 6 there is a flexing head 7 and an auxiliary feed device 43 both also rigidly secured to the bed 1 coaxially with the other heads. The winding heads, fiexer, and auxiliary feeding device are all rotated from a common shaft 8 through cross shafts 8 and suitable gearing adapted to drive successive heads in relatively reversed directions and also adapted to be adjusted to vary the driving speed as described in greater detail in my copending application referred to. The shaft 8 may be driven by a belt 9 passing There- Fig. 3 is a detail section of the upper end Fig. 1, vertical section of one of the rotary Winding heads;' 2

over a pulley 10 which may be clutched and declutched to the shaft 8 through a suitable clutch 11, the belt 9 being driven from any suitable source of power. The clutch may conveniently be controlled from any point along the length of the machine by means of a rod 12 extending the full length of the plate 19. A second annular disc 20 of. substantially the same diameter is secured tov disc 19 in parallel spaced relationship thereto by means of spacing. ferrules 21. Spools of wire 22 which supply the layer wire to be wrapped around the core wire are rotatably supported between-the two discs 19 .and 20 upon spindles 23 mounted upon ball bearings 24. In the illustrated embodiment five such spools are shown upon each head but it is obvious that any desired number of spools may be employed. The. outer disc 20 has five hollow bosses 25 arranged around its periphery in such positions as to lie adj acent the outer flanges of the five s ools. Within these bosses there is positione cuplike friction elements 26, constantly urged against the spool flanges by compression springs 27, thus retarding rotation of the spoolsr At the center of the inner flange 19- there is secured thereto a wire feeding and guiding device 28 having a central bore through which the-core wirepasses and hav-v ing' one end of its *outer surface smooth andtapered as at' 28, that is having the shape of a truncated cone with its small end of such-)a diameter alsto exactly surround the core wire or the core wire with its'previous 1 layer or layers thereon. The inclined surface is smooth and preferably very hard for means which will appear hereaften. A

keeper 30 is supported upon fourstuds 31- threaded into flange 17, the keeper having a central bore through which the core wire passes, a portion of the inner surface of which is inclined outwardly at an angle complementary to thejinclined, surface 28 of the outer portion of member 28. The keeper 30 is resiliently urged into contact with the feeding and guiding device 28 by means of springs 32 surrounding the outer ends of uds 31 the tension of the springs being variableby adjusting the nuts on the studs.

Between the output side of the last winding head 6 and the rotary flexing head "7 which may be of any type and is illustrated as being like that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 209,205, there is provided a friction block .or retarding device 35 comprising standard the upper end of 7 which is'formed into a pair of viselike gripping jaws 36 and 37 pivotally connected together at 38 and resiliently urged together -by spring 39 surrounding an eyebolt 40 and being held under tension by means of a wing nut 41.

Under certain conditions it may be desirable to provide an auxiliary feeding device although the same is not necessary for the normal operation of the machine. In such instances a gripper or feeding unit may be employed and secured to the bed of the machine at the discharge end of the flexing head 7 or between the last winding head 6 and the flexing head 7. In the illustrated embodiment I have shown a feeding unit 43 secured to a bracket 44 attached to the end of bed 1. The feeding device shown comprises a head having three ball chucks for gripping the wire, each of the chucks being moved longitudinally at alternate times with overlapping strokes to continuously feed the core wire with its surrounding layers in a steady continuous manner. vSuch a feeding device is shown and described in my copending application Serial #209,205 and will not be described in detailv here since any continuous feeding device may be utilized and driven from the common shaft8 through a cross shaft 8 The operation of the machine is as follows: The core wire is led off the spool 3 and inserted through the first head 6. The wires from the spools 22 of the first head 6 are then led from the spools and attachedto the core wire after which the first head is rotated in a given direction. As the first head is rotated to lay the wires of the spools 22 thereon around the core wire in close convolutions to form the first layer thereon, the wires take a partial turn around the conical surface of the guidingand feeding member 28. These wires have a tendency to slide down this inclined smooth surface under the keeper 30 which tendency is increased by the friction devices 26 retarding the unwinding of spools 22. This tendency of the layer wires to slide down the inclined surface of member 28 and to crowd in between the last convolution wound and the end of the member 28 urges the core wire with the first layer thereon longitudinally toward the next head or layer. down the inclined surface is restricted by the keeper 30, which also causes the layer wire to strike the conical surface at a given point and to take a course down the surface of the conical surface rather than parallel thereto transverse to the elements, is resiliently urged against the inclined surface and thus prevents the various wires from the spools 22 from crossing or from piling upon one upon the other as they are wrapped around the core and tends to aid in the feeding of the core wire. The keeper also guides sa d core wire as an axis and having means The movement of the wires the layer wires to a given point on the conical surface regardless of the point at which it leaves the spool. As the core wire traverses through each head the action is the same, it being understood of course that each head is designed to-lay a separate layer on top of the previous layer and wound in a direction reversed relatively to the preceding layer. As the core wire with four layers thereon emerges from the last Winding head 6 it is passed through the retarding device 35 which f'rictionally engages the shaft to hold against the inherent feeding action of the four previous heads constituting a resistance against the inherent feeding action and thus causing the convolutions of wires forming the layers to be closely wound, that is, it prevents the feeding action from going too fast and resulting in a loosely wound shafting. Leaving this device the flexible shaft is passed through a rotary flexer 7 which serves to flex the finished cable to make it limber and pliable. Emerging from the fiexer the shafting is engaged by the auxiliary feeding device, if such is employed, from which the shafting may be wound on reels or any other suitable container for holding the shafting. I v I I It will be understood that each cone contributes to the propelling force upon the core and that the contribution of each cone is not affected by the compensating action of the wire in automatically increasing or decreasing an amount upon a cone, so long as any wire is left turned about the cone. If, for example, a wire on one head runs abnormally small for an undue length of time so that the reserve wire on the cone is all used up, thereafter spacings will occur in the layer formed by that cone unless either the speed is changed or the wire resumes the normal size. It is seldom, however, that abnormality continues for a sufli cient length of time to cause such a difiiculty. If there is no wire left turned'about a cone and the wire of that head is running so small as to cause spaces between the turns,

obviousl that cone is at that time performing litte or no p'ropelling action and a greater burden is placed upon the other cones. That condition in practice, however, seldom exists and I have found that it is rarely that a few turns of the wire about each cone will not suffice to compensate for any variations that may occur in the wire thereon to support a spool of wire, a conical guiding and feeding member secured to saidhead for rotation therewith for guiding the wire from said spool to said core wire and causing the core wire to be fed longitudinally through said machine, a keeper member secured to said head yieldinglyQurged toward said guiding and feeding member and means for rotating said head to cause it to wind a layer of wire around said core wire.

2. A machine for making flexible shaft comprising, a support for a core wire, a winding head mounted for rotation about said core wire as an axis and having means thereon to support a spool of wire, a conical guiding and feeding member secured to said head for rotation therewith for guiding the wire from said spool to said core wire and causing the core wire to be fed longitudinally through said machine, a keeper having an inclined surface secured to said head and means for yieldingly urging said keeper toward said feeding member.

3. A flexible shaft maln'ng machine comprising a plurality of successively disposed rotative winding heads each including anaxial support for a core wire and a support for a spool of wire, means to rotate the several heads simultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around the core wire, and a conical member associated with each head having an axial passage therethrough constituting part of the core wire support and so disposed as to have wire from the spool of its head drawn obliquely across the surface of the cone prior to winding upon the core wire, the conical surface being uninterrupted and of suflicient angle to develop a propelling force longitudinally upon the core wire and thereby cause the gore1 wire to move continuously through its 4. A flexible shaft making machine comprising a plurality of successively disposed rotative winding heads each including an axial support fpr a core wire'and a support for a spool of wire, means to rotate the sev- ,'eral heads simultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around the core wlre, a 60111031 member associated with each head having an axial passage there-' through constituting part of the core wire support and so disposed as to have wire from the spool of its head drawn obliquely across the surface of the cone prior to winding upon the core wire, and means for frictionally retarding the delivery of wire from the spool of each head to cause it to create a force upon the surface of the cone normal to its axis as the head rotates and winds the spool wire upon the core wire, the conical surface being uninterrupted and of sufficient angle to develop a propellm force longitudinally upon the core wire an thereby cause the core wire to move continuously through its head.

5. A flexible shaft making machine comprising a plurality of successively disposed rotative winding heads each including an axial support for a core wire and a support a from the spool of its head drawn obliquelyv across the surface of the cone prior to winding upon the core wire, the conical surface b'elng uninterruptedand of an angle not less than 45, whereby the component of the force of the wire down the conical surface exceeds 'the component normal to the surface and a propelling force is developed and applied to the core wire and causes the core wire to move continuously through its head.

6. A flexible shaft making machine comprising a plurality of successively disposed rotative winding heads each including an axial support for a core wire and a support for a spool of wire, means to rotate the several heads simultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around the core wire, and a conical member associated with each head havin an axial passage therethrough constitutlng part of the core wire support and so disposed as to have wire from the spool of its head drawn obliquely across the surface of the cone prior to winding upon thecore wire, and means for frictionally retarding the delivery of wire from the spool of each head to cause it to create a force upon the surface of the cone normal to its axis as the head rotates and winds the spool wire upon thecore wire, the conical surface being uninterrupted and of an angle not less than 45, whereby the component of the force of the wire down the conical surface exceeds the component normal to the surface and a propelling force is developed and applied to the core wire and causes the lclore1 wire to move continuously through its ea 7. A flexible shaft making machine comprising a plurality of successivelydisposed rotative winding heads each including an axial support'for a core wire and a support for a spool of wire, means to rotate the several heads simultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around-the core LWIIG, and a conical member associated with each head havlng an axial passage thereof each head to cause it to create a force upon the surface of the cone normal to its axis as the head rotates and winds the s 001 wire upon the core wire, the conical sur ace being uninterrupted and of an angle not less than 45, whereby the component of the force of the wire down the conical surface exceeds the component normal to the surface and a propelling force is developed and applied to the core wire and causes the core wire to move continuously through its head, and means succeeding the last head in the direction of travel of the core'wire for opposing the lon- .c gitudinal movement of the core imparted to it by the cones and thereby re late the compactness of the helices of t e wound wires. 8. A flexible shaft making machine comprising a plurality of successively disposed rotative winding heads each including an axial support for a core wire and a support fora spool of wire, means to rotate the several heads simultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around the core wire, and a conical member" associated with each head having an axial passage therethrough constituting part of the core wire support and so disposedas to have wire from the spool of its head drawn obliquely across the surface of the cone prior to windingupon the core wire, means for frictionally retarding the delivery of wire from the s 001 of each 'head to cause it to create a orce upon the surface of the cone normal to its axis as the head rotates and winds the spool wire upon the core wire, the conical surface being uninterrupted and of an agle not less than 45, whereby the component of the force of the wire down the conical surface exceeds the component normal to the surface and a propelling force is developed and applied to the core wire and causes the core wire to move continuously through its head,

and an auxiliary feeding means for the finished shaft after the last head.

9. A flexibleshaft' making machine comprising a plurality of successively, disposed than 45, whereby the component of the force of the wire down the conical surface exceeds the component normal to the surface my signature.

. LOUIS H. MORIN.

rotative winding heads each including an axial support for a core wire and a support for a spool of wire, means to rotate the several headssimultaneously to cause each of them to wind a layer of wire around the core wire, and a conical member associated witheach head having an axial passage therethrough constituting part of the core wire support and so disposed as to have wire from the spool of its head drawn obhquely across the surface of the gone prior to winding upon the core wire, means for frictionally retarding the delivery of wire from the spool of each head to cause it to create a force upon the surface of the cone normal to its axis as the head rotates and winds the spool. wire upon the core wfi'e, the conical surface being uninterrupted and of an angle not less 

